Napa's patron of the arts

Janet Lynn Roseman, SPECIAL TO THE EXAMINER

Published 4:00 am, Tuesday, July 4, 1995

1995-07-04 04:00:00 PDT NAPA COUNTY -- WILLIAM JARVIS, the wealthy founder of Wiltron Electronics, Jarvis Winery and most recently the Jarvis Conservatory in Napa, is not your typical well-heeled patron.

His passion for literature and opera is an art form itself. On most mornings, he can be found on his palatial Wine Country estate, not only reading his favorite literature (Ionesco, Camus, Sartre, Voltaire, Moliere, Garcia Lorca), but acting out the parts and inviting his friends to join in the fun. He enjoys his hobby all the more because he reads the novels and plays in the language that they were penned in.

When not playing the beleaguered physician in "The Plague" or Ionesco's "Rhinoceros," Jarvis can be found in the boat house overlooking his private lake translating Spanish operas called zarzuelas. "This is my idea of fun," says Jarvis. "I spent about 14 years studying around the world and I specialize in French and Spanish literature. I have always had a desire to learn things."

In keeping with his passions, and because he and his wife Leticia, have the where-with-all to do it, they recently plunked down $17 million to renovate the Lisbon Winery, a historic landmark building, and turn it into the Jarvis Conservatory. The Napa arts center includes a 221-seat theater (including one box seat for Jarvis and his wife), with top-of-the-line sound and lighting equipment, as well as ballet studios and classrooms. Jarvis plans to present his beloved zarzuelas at the conservatory, offer workshops with famous dancers and musicians and make available recordings and videos of the theater's productions.

Why zarzuelas, instead of Verdi or Puccini? "When we found this building, we wanted to present serious, classical-type music but we wanted something different. We could do a Verdi opera, but you are somewhat limited because it's not as big as you like for grand opera. Zarzuela popped up because it had been developed in a theater of the same size."

During the last 10 years, zarzuela has been rejuvenated in Spain. The lively music form, which combines singing, dancing and a story line, originated in Spain during the early 1800s, taking its name from the zarza bushes that grew on the royal estate where King Phillip IV mounted zarzuela productions. Ironically, zarza bushes, whose fruit tastes like blackberries, also abound on Jarvis' Napa estate.

Jarvis says he was inspired to open the conservatory by his Platonic philosophy. "I read all of the great classical thinkers, and Plato explained the mysteries of life to me. Plato thought that there was one supreme beauty, one degree of perfection that you could approach. If you are approaching something that is the supreme goodness, you are closer and closer to God. I think that gave me the inspiration to try to do good things, like creating the conservatory and offering the best zarzuelas, really make it close to God, from the highest level."

Because of Jarvis' largesse, the conservatory will not be obliged to turn a profit. "We will make money off our winery, we won't make it off the conservatory, that's for sure. The definition of our success will be that people all over the country are going to know that Napa is producing really interesting zarzuelas and really interesting baroque dance concerts."

Jarvis appears to be in his 70s, but he is coy about revealing his age - "As the French say, I'm of a certain age, let's leave it at that." Born into an Oklahoma oil family, he discovered a knack for technology while serving in the Navy during World War II. (He was assigned to work on the Manhattan Project, but found himself limited to erasing the blackboards for the A-bomb's creators.) Fifteen years ago, he founded Wiltron, a successful Morgan Hill-based electronics company that monitors telecommunications lines throughout the world.

Jarvis began his life as a patron on his other estate, in Palo Alto, where he used to house a few visiting scholars. But it was a full-fledged performance venue that he longed to create. Two years ago, Jarvis and his wife decided that Napa was the perfect place to build the conservatory, and construction began once the Lisbon Winery was located. To renovate the historic building, Jarvis consulted with experts like Dave Kahn, a well-known acoustician; Steven Friedlander, a New York stage designer; and Bill Connor, director of development for the San Francisco Opera. Before the reconstruction work began, the Jarvises traveled the world studying the most famous opera houses to create the best performance space they could.

Jarvis' vision for the conservatory includes a permanent company of performers and a revolving roster of choreographers and stage directors. The arts patron is also stressing education at his complex. This summer, Edward Villella, the legendary dancer and current director of the Miami Ballet, will lecture on Balanchine's ballets. Catherine Turocy, the director of the New York Baroque Dance Company, will present a workshop and performance in August.

Highlights of the Jarvis Conservatory schedule include: Open house. Self-guided tours of the conservatory, music by Tuna de San Juan, (dancers and musicians from Mexico). July 8, 2-5 pm. Lecture by Catherine Turocy, director of the New York Baroque Dance Company: "18th Century Manners at the Ball," July 29, 7 p.m. Lecture / demonstration by Edward Villella, "Balanchine and the Baroque." July 29, 8 p.m. Michael Smuin directs the Ballet / San Francisco performance of "Bach's Well Tempered Clavier" Aug. 5, 8 pm. World premiere of "The Pleasure of the Dance," a new performance by the New York Baroque Dance Company and students of the Baroque Workshop, created by Catherine Turocy. Aug. 12, 7 p.m.&lt;